Claude Code · Certificates and network
Request timed out
The API didn’t answer before Claude Code’s deadline, from heavy load, a very long response, or a slow network or proxy.
Message
The exact error
Request timed outAlso appears as:
- When the cause is your connection
- Request timed out. Check your internet connection and proxy settings
Meaning
What it means
Claude Code waits a set time for the API before giving up; the default request timeout is 10 minutes. When the message only says Request timed out, the API was slow, often during busy periods or while generating a very large reply. When it adds “Check your internet connection and proxy settings”, the delay was on your side of the connection.
Causes
Common causes
- High load on the API
- A very large response being generated
- A slow or congested network, VPN or proxy
Fix
How to fix it
Retry
Send the message again. Claude Code also retries temporary failures automatically before showing an error.
Give a slow proxy more time
If your network or proxy is slow but working, raise
API_TIMEOUT_MS(in milliseconds) before starting Claude Code, for example to 15 minutes:macOS / Linux export API_TIMEOUT_MS=900000 claudeWindows PowerShell $env:API_TIMEOUT_MS = '900000' claudeCheck service status
If it keeps happening on a healthy network, check status.claude.com for incidents.
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